UC eases admissions requirements in response to COVID-19 crisis

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the University of California school system announced that it will eliminate the requirements for standardized SAT/ACT and spring 2020 letter grade for students applying in Fall 2021 in a statement made today, April 1.

According to the UC website, “campuses will adjust their internal processes accordingly to ensure that no student is harmed in admissions selection should they not submit a test score.”

Though the requirement is being dropped, students can still submit standardized test scores.

“Students applying for fall 2021 are not precluded from taking standardized tests (SAT or ACT) and sending scores if they are able,” the UC website reads. “Doing so can support their statewide UC eligibility, application for certain scholarships and help them fulfill some University graduation requirements.”

According to the UC website, A-G courses completed in spring 2020 with Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades will satisfy appropriate A-G requirements — and with Paly’s recent shift to credit/no credit grading for the spring semester, all Paly students who receive a pass will receive A-G credit.

The university also wrote that they will continue to award UC credit consistent with previous years for 2020 AP exams completed with scores of 3, 4 or 5, despite the College Board’s recent shift to online, 45-minute free-response AP exams.

This alteration in application requirements comes as the number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases tops 200,000 — with eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the UC Berkeley community but no known on-campus exposures as of April 1, according to the UC Berkeley website. All UC campuses closed in early March and shifted to online distance learning for the spring semester.

“The COVID-19 outbreak is a disaster of historic proportions disrupting every aspect of our lives, including education for high school students, among others,” UC President Janet Napolitano said in a press release. “The university’s flexibility at this crucial time will ensure prospective students aiming for UC get a full and fair shot — no matter their current challenges.”